Ship-guiding method and apparatus



May 7, 1929..

c. D. EHRET 1,711,879 SHIP GUIDING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed Dec. 6. 1920 Ramo raf/wwe ok TMm/maf 0R smh minous @fc5/wmp a Twas/0117.06 IMPI/:was

l I f Salmi 0F CURRENT INVENTOR.

May 7, 1929. c. D. EHRET SHIP GUIDING METHOD AND APPARATUS Filed Dec. 6. 1920 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 HDIO RECEIVING ORSIGINHLING ORSIMULTRNEOLIS ECEIVINQ RID TRRNSNIITTINQ RPPNRHTU sf f- DI? SIGNILIIIG DEVICE 1NVENTY0R. Mx @zZ/f sHIP GUIDING METHOD Awb APPARATUS Filed Dec. 6. 1920 s sheets-sheet 5 FIII w Smunnmous RscEvrlou HND T'Rnwsmsmn 1 `scumcls o F OsclLLnrlo N6 y n 221 b 51 PHONOGP ECORDS P INVENTOR.

Patented May 7, 1929..

UNITED STATESv CORNELIS D. EHRET, F PHILADELPHIA, ,PENNSYLVANIA.

SHIP-GUIDING METHODKAND APPARATUS.

Application led December My invention relates ltoa method and apparatus for guiding a ship by'signals, telegraphic, telephonic or otherwise, communicated thereto from conductors in or adjacent its path.

In accordance with my invention electric impulses, or fluctuating or alternating currents of different characters, as of audible or inaudible frequencies, are impressed upon different sections or blocks of conductor submerged in or adjacent the channel, or otherwise disposed adjacent the path of travel of the ship,whereby it becomes known on the to serve a warning, if the ship should mate-A rially depart from its true course or channel.

In accordance with my-invention, the signals received upon the ship may be employed to control or modulate lelectro-radiant energy 'of a radio transmitting apparatus -upon the ship, whereby ships in other blocks or sections will automatically become advised of the Lpresencein a-certain block or section of the-ship'having thereon said transmitting apparatus; and said transmitting apparatus may serve also to advise an operator at the control or terminal station of the system of the presence of the ship in a particular block,

and such operator may-then communicate the information tof/ships in other blocks or sections. p

In Vaccordance with my invention, the conductor system communicating the ,aforesaid signals to the ship may be .employed also for -transmitting to the ship telegraphicor tele- '.phonic messages originating at any distance from the terminal or cont-rol station, and a person upon the ship may reply or carry on a. conversation, as in an ordinary telephone system, by'cntrol of the aforesaid transmitting apparatus, the receiving apparatus cooperating therewith at the terminal or con- 6, 1920. Serial N0. 428,589.

trol station being then connected tothe telcgraph or telephone line-over which the incoming messages are transmitted to the terni'nal or control station and from it to the s 1p.

My invention resides in the -method and apparatus hereinafter described and claimed.

For an illustration of some of the various lforms my invention may take, and for an understanding of 'my method, reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. 1 a diagrammaticview of a conductor system embodying my invention and suitable for carrying out my method.

' Fig. la is a diagram ofa modified form of Connection.

e Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are diagrammatic views of modified arrangements.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view of one of the many forms of my apparatus thatmay be employed upon'the ship.v

Fig. 5a is a diagram of a modified form of f' connection.

`Fig. 6 represents a modifi d arrangement ofthe sectional conductors. el Fig.7 is a plan view of phonograph records. e r

Referring to Fig. 1, the lines a, a indicate a. channel through which ship traffic-is to be maintained. In or adjacent the channel, as by submerging them or otherwise disposing them, are the signaling conductors L and c, disposed in sections or blocks of any suitable length. In the example illustrated, sections of'each conductor are disposed onl opposite o sides o'f the channel, one side. of the channel serving for traffic in one direction, while the other side serves for traffic in the opposite direction, the two directions of trafiic being indicated by the arrows. In the example illnstrated, there are shown on the .right hand side of the channel three blocks or sections,

c which are indicated at 1,3, 5, etc., for one side of the channel and 2, 4, 6, etc. for the otherv side of thel channel.

At a control or terminal-station C, upon shore, anchored ship, or the like, disposed at one end of the channel, or at any other suitable place, the conductors b and c are connected to earth or sea Waterat E, and their distant ends at the other end -of the channel .are similarly connected to earth or sea water at E. Upon the conductors b and c are impressed any suitable electric impulses,

lis any modulating or signaling device.M,

which so controls the electriceliergy asto represent a. signal, either telegraphic, telephonie or otherwise.

.Ordinarily the sourcesS and S1 will deliver iukctuating or alternating current of either audible or inaudible frequency for any of said modes of signaling, and ,when the signaling is telephonie, the frequencies of the sources S, S1 will be above audibility or of radio frequency. v

As'to some aspects of my invention, howl ever, it will be understood that the currents impressed upon the conductors b and c may V be ordinary telephonie currents, in which case the sources S, S1 may deliver direct current.

In any ofthe casesabove referred'to,l it will be understood that the signaling current of whatever type may be impressed ugon the Iconductors b and c in anyother s uita le way than by inductive coupling described. For example, as shownin Fig. 11, a source, asS,` and its modulator or control device m may be connected in series with each other directly vin thel conductor b. 5 b There may be emplo ed a third conductor J disposed, as to cart connections,'as-are conductors Z; and c.l With the conductor d may cooperate a third source S2 having a modulator or control instrument M, asin the other cases, the current-from the source.Sz having a characteristic diifer'entlfrom that of the currents of S -and S1. v l Carried by the ship i's a coil structure or other suitablev energy absorbing structure which, inthe exam le illustrated comprises the two coils B and 11,;1, which mayvli other, preferably, howeveigon opposite sides of the ship.' The coils B and B1 may, forexi ample, be submerged on opposite .sides of` -be disposed above the sea-surface', either inside or outside ofthe ship. .v

ratus of any suitable character.

the shipv so as to be positioned as close a's possible to the conductorsl b and c,or -they may, particularly with the higher frequencies of current impressed. upon the conductors b .and c,

In Fig. 5 is shown one of many forms of *apparatuswhich may be employed aboard the In the example illustrated, .the coils`B and B1 have their terminals cnnected'to the con# 'tacts e.'f and g,' with which cofacts a switch L c disposed 1n any sultable position with respect to each la,` foi-,bringing either of the coils into co-aci tion with detector of any suitable type..A In the example illustrated, the detector `or detector amplifier maybe an audion V whose grigcireuit may be connected to either one of the aforesaid coils. In the `anode circuit of the audion are connected the 'telephone coils 1f, co-acting, respective-ly, with the" diaphragms j and le disposed in suitable telephone ear pieces, the two diaphragms being in differentj ear pieces co-operating, respectively with the two ears of the operator.

v Assuming a shipto enter the channel a` and desiring to steer alongy the right hand course thereof, when the coils B and B1 are near the conductor b ofl block No. 1, there will be heard in `the telephones a signal charac- Atcristic of thatimpressed upon the`conductor b l,by the source S at the control or terminal station 1C. By vshifting thel switch h back-v and forwardly into communication wardl with t e diierent coils B and B, the operator can distinguishwhen the signal from one coil is v,v'veaker than that from the other and then alters his course so that the signals become of equal intensities, lin which 'case the ship is properly directly over the conductor b.

If the source S" delivers" ordinary direct l current, and if .the modulator M is a telephone transmitter, an ordinary telephonie current will be impressed upon' the conductor b, andthe spoken message will be heard in the' telephones whose diaphragms are j, la

'The sound waves of the telephonic message may beuttered against the microphone M by a person, or b a phonograph record, as' hereinafter described lWhere the source S delivers an alternating or iuctuating'current having a frequency of, for example, 500 or 1000 cycles per sec.-

ond, the modulator M may be an automatic telegraphic transmitter sending out a characteristic letter or other signa-l which will be then heard as a high pitched note in the telephones. 'Whjen the source `S delivers alternating orv fluctuating current of frequency above audibility, the device M may-bc a telephone transmitter for modulating such high frequency energy, in which casethe soundwaves uttered' against themicrophone M 'will be reproduced in the telephones, such sound waves being, for example, speech uttered by a person or by a phonograph record;-`

In case the source S delivers current of a l 120- lradio frequency, the instrument M Qmay be fre uency above audibility, or a current of anv automatic telegraph transmitter trans"- mitting aL characteristic letter ori signal which, if the oscillations produced by the 1 25 source S are v in separate trains or, groups,

will become 'audible inthe telephones as a' sound or note of the wavetrain or group Y frequency. -If'tlie oscillations orcurrent delivered '.by the source S are, however, 'sus-v tained' or-f undamped'waves, the switch m,

Fig.' 5, may be closed, causing the source S3, `delivering sustained oscillations or alternating'current of frequency slightly different from the frequency of the source S, to impress aipotential variation of similar fre-- quency upon thegrid circuit of the audion "V, whereby there will be produced in the telephones a beat note, as well understood in the radio art.

After the ship has traversed the conductor b, it will leave the block 1 and enter block 3 into co-operative relation with a section pf the conductor c traversed by current from' the source S1; The characteristic of the cur-v rent in vconductor c is different from that'in conductor b, and such diferentcharacteristic will become apparent in the telephones. The` current itself may have a different character'V istic, '.as of different frequency, wave train frequency or the like, or, (and) the modulator M associated with the source`S1 may" control the current therefrom in a characterfistic way to produce a differenttelegraphic signal or letter, or a different spoken mes-4 sage. The operator upon the shipwill accordingly know by thechange of characteristic that he has entered block 3, and so on,l

as he enters each successive block, he-will become aware of it. i

As indicated in Fig. 1, the conductors b and c may overlap each other for short distances, Awith the result that when the ship traverses the overlap two characteristic'signals will be simultaneously heard in the telephones, the operator then knowing that he is over the overlap. and is just leaving one block and entering another. For example, whenV the sources S and S1'produce currents of audible or superaudible frequencies diifering suitably from each other, there will be produced in the coils B and B1 electric beat vcurrents which will 'become manifest as audible beats in the telephones.

Upon the ship an audion V1, or other suitable means, may be subjected to the currents induced in eitherof the coils B and B1, by connecting the primary of transformer 'n to terminals e, f, or f, g, as indicated' in Fig.

In the example illustrated, V1 is subjected to the currents induced in both coils, the two coils B and B1 preferably being cumulative in their effect upon the primary of the transformer n in whose secondary circuit, which may be tuned by the condenser Y K, is the grid circuit of the audion V1 and in whose anode circuit is the primary, which may be shunted by condenser K1, of a transformer o, which may be an audio-frequency transformer, whose secondary is connected by the switch p with radio transmitting apparatus of any suitable character. In the exampleillustrated, the secondary of the transformer o `controls' apparatus g, as one or more thermionic oscillators, which produce high or radio frequency oscillations other` signals received by the coils B, B1 control the emission of electro-radiant energy modulated or controlled in accordance 3with the signal picked up upon the ship. The

vsignal is therefore relayed u on the ship and,

trans'liitted by radio, where y another ship or ships traversing the sameside of the channelfa, or otherwise located, and either ahead of or behind the ship under consideration, will receive Vthe characteristic signal and will thereby knots7 thatth'ere is a ship'in a certain, block, as for example, block 1. The same radio message may be received at the control or terminal station C, asby suitable radio recelvmg apparatus generically indicated at R. The operator atA-,R then also knows that a ship occupies a certain block,'as block 1, and

that there is a ship in ,blockl 1, this message being then received by all other ships in cooperative relationwith the conductors b and c.- Or in lieu of transmitting such information telephonically, it ma lbe telegraphically transmitted over the con uctors b and c.

' Upon the same ship under consideration may be radio receiving apparatus of any suitable character comprising, for example, an

antenna A1, preferably so associated with the Y antenna A that the transmission of energy from the antenna A simultaneously with receptionof energy by the antenna A1 will not cause interference or prevent'intelligible receipt of the message represented by the energy absorbed by the antenna A1. One of the well ,he can,as when the devices-M are microphones, speak into them stating, for example,

ino

known arrangements for this nonfinterfering transmission and lreception of energy is indi-` cated in Fig. 5. With the receiving apparatus is associated an audion or other suitable device V2, whose gridcircuit is connected across the tuning condenser K3. In the anode circuit of the tube V2 are connected the tele` phone coils s, s, which may`be shunted by the .condenser K1, coactill, respectively,

with the aforesaid diaphrag l operators telephone, a swi ch t serving to open or close the circuit of the coils s, s.

While the operator upon the same ship 1in-'1 der consideration, as one traversing the right side of the channel a, Fig. 1, may in his telephones hear the characteristic signals and steer his shi thereby, vand whilethe received signals are eing transmitted to other ships and to the terminal or control station,he may `j and c of the the presenceof. another ship. This'signal' at the 'same time hear in his telephones, by by the current for each section is dilferent as the action of the coils s, s, signalsor messages. to a characteristic from every other section. received by the antenna A1. These signals While in Figs. 1 and 2 alternate sectionson or messages may be those automatically transthe same' side of the channel have-the same 5' mitted, as above described, from another ship characteristic current in Fig. 3 allsections in another block, whereby the operator, in differ characteristically from each other, and addition to receiving steering signals, will 4this arrangement -is particularly more suitreceive in his telephone signals from 'another ablewhere automatic transmitting apparatus, ship in another block and so become aware ofy such as shown in Fig. 5, isemploy for in such case "la different characteristic signal or message Vso received from another ship may would -be sent out fromV each block the ship 4give information as togwhat block the ship occupies, and accordin ly the operators on is in, such message being either automatica A the vother ships would ly transmitted by the'ship, or'impressed upon automatic action simply, which ock 'or the conductors b, by the operator at lthe blocks is or are occupied, `due to employment control or'L terminal station. g of receiving apparatus having antenna Alfor The same characteristic action takes place the like, as indicated in Fi 5. with av ship passing in o posite direction -on' ythe opposite'side of 'the' c annel a.

o erator' on that sii would lknow b the Should a shi on either side of the channel c aracteristic signal t at he is in that lock,

depart widely. rom its course toward the op- 'and the automatic transmitting apparatus on posite side ofthe channel, the coils B,.B1, will the ship will automatically transmit from the vcome under the inuenc of the conductor gl,- antenna A a signal characteristic of block 3, over which is transmitted a current represent-A .to ships in other blocks, or otherwise situated, ing a warning signal which will be heard by and to the control station C. And at the conthe operator in his telephone, whereupon he trol station C,'as above stated, the operator .mayl cause his shipfto return to proper side may talk into any of the modulators, or cono'f the channel. A d may be -telegraphic or telephonic, either produced by anopera'toror automatically by lan automaticltrans'mitter or aphonograph. For example, the modulator M associated with the source S2 may be a phonographically Controlled IIICTOPhOIle, the PhOIlOg'IaPh lltfeed conductor', and by tuni 0f devices fu, each tering repeatedly a given slogan or message, comprising tuning capacity nd inductance, /which informs or warns the operator upon the currents are selected to the different conthe ship of its departure fromvpropel pOSi ductor sections, each receiving a current of tion in the channel: .characteristic frequency.

While the apparatus 'R at the .COIltrolsta-. In FigA: the'modulators are indicated. as 4o tion Chas been referred tQ as receiving -apmicrophones, though' it will be understood paratus, it Will be understood that it may be thatthey may be any other type of-control insuitable also for transmission of radio signals strument, as automatic or manually o erated or messages, or that/it'may be of the character telegraph transmitters, etc. In this case, illustrated in Fig. 5, or equivalent, whereby when the Sources S'* associated with the microanyother particular block.

In.- FigL'Lthe arrangement is similar to that imFig 3, except that-the currents of the '4 5 simultaneous or. non-interfering'transmlSL phones are either direct-current sources or Soin and reception may be cleed- Sustained wavesof super-audible or radio fre- Wh'ereas in Fig'. '1 the conductors band. 0' `quencies, telephonicmessages may be commu- .ll'e 'iHISpOSed and CIOSS 0I TGCLOSS the Chalnicated to the sectional conductors and from nel a to form the sections, these sections may them through thecoils B, B1 to the ships 5 0 be otherwise formed, as'for example, aS inoperator, and alsov to the ships automatic dicated in Fig. 2, where -the sections of con- \ra,di0 rfa-transmittin apparatus,the operductor-Lb, on each sideff the channel, each gft-,Ors @mall other ships thereby knowing'of has oneend connected to a supply conductori Vthe presence of a certain ship in a' certain associated withlthel source S, and. similarly, block, andthe'opera-trat the terminal staf., one endofeach ofthe sections of conductor c tion 9,150 being aware of the position of each is connected to a supply onductorf associated lShip, Y with'the source S1. In all oi the arrangements described it is In this instance again the sourcesS, S2 possible, in addition to the guiding and sig- 'and their modulators Mr'may be of any of the naling described, topermit a -assan er on the characters described in connection with Fig; ship to hd d conversation wit anot er part 1. And' neighboring sections or blocks maat any 'di ant station 4upon land. In suc overlap, as.:1 describedA indfi-iconnection wit case-the operator at thecont'rol. or terminal ow exactly.,1 due to- Thus, with vashi 1in b ock 3,- Fig. .3, the

. station() causes the receiver responding to In. for each. sectional conductor the voice otheperson at the distant station I '05 there -is a diiferentsource of current S, whereto affect the currentimpressed upon the suh- The signal'in the conductor trol them tele ra hically, to advise any ship v in `any particu ar lock that there is a ship in.

different sources are impressed upon a single which andthe coilsB,B1 upon the ship the pasmerged conductor or conductors through senger may hear the voice of such person by applying to his ears the telephones Whose diaphragms are 7' and k. He may reply, by shifting switch p to its other position indicated in Fig. 5, and bylspeaking to the microphone w which then controls the devices g, 1' and radiation'of his message from the conductor A.

This message is received upon the radio4 ap-A Y paratus vR at the terminal station and there impressed .upon the line running to the distant station, and the person thereat will hear the message spoken to the microphone fw upon ,the ship. There is afforded, therefore, a signaling circuit, either telegra hic or telephonic, part of which may be a and line, and a partof which isa conductor systeminduc- .tively iniiuencing apparatus upon the ship,

complemented by radio transmitting apparatus upon the ship.

Or the non-interfering transmitting and receiving apparatus,A employing the antennae A, A1 upon the ship, may co-act with similar apparatus at the control station C, where the apparatus thereat is related to the land line,

from each other, as at a1,a1, whereby the conductor sections will not inductively influence each other to any material extent, the gaps a1 being sutiic'iently short that in passing from one section to the next the ship will not vary materially from its course. (V

In any of the arrangements of Figs. l to 4 inclusive, the modulators M maybe microphones in each instance controlled by a p honograph record of either telegraphic .signals or of sound waves, as a spoken word or message; Y.

As indicated in Fig. 7, the phonograph records, indicated at -P,'may have a, single circular record groove b1, each representing a different characteristic signal or message, the records P- all simultaneously rotating, and for each revolution producing the characteristic signal or' message control of themicrophone co' acting with the stylus controlled by each record.

`Whle themodulators may thus be automatically controlled -by a phonograph record or otherwise, the operator at the control or terminal station may superimpose upon the the same circuits another telegraphic or spoken messagef t i i-It is to be understood that theterm ship as appearsherein andin the Iappended claims, I

is used in a comprehensive sense to include 9. In a shlps signaling system, the combi- 130 generally, moving vehicles of all-types and characters, particularly those used in transportation. A Y

What I claim is:

1. The method of guiding' a, Ship, which consistsin producing electrical disturbances representing different signals in guide conductor sections in the ships'path, producing electrical disturbances in-a warningsignal conductor, and producingby said disturbances a warning signal and dlierent'guiding signals upon said ship.

, A 2. Thevmethod which'consists in producing electrical disturbances representative Vof difi Y ferent signals in conductor sections in a s hps path, absorbing energy of said disturbances upon the ship, and re-transmitting from'the ship signals .corresponding with the signals -represented by the absorbed energy.

3. The method'which consists-in producing electrical disturbances representative of different signals in conductor. sections in a ships path, absorbing energy of said disturbances p upon the ship, re-transmivttingfrom the ship signals corresponding with 'the' signals represented by the absorbed energy, and translating absorbed energy into intelligible signals lso as the ship comes` into co-/operative'relation withv the dierent conductor sections.

4. The method which consists in producing in a conductor in a ships path electrical disturbances representing a signal, absorbing en'- .ergy of said dlsturbances on the ship, and retransmitting from t e ship signals orrespending with the signals represented bythe absorbed energy.

5. rIhe method Whichconsistsin producing in a conductor ina ships path' electrical disturbances representing a signal, absorbing energy of said disturbances on the ship, and transmitting from thek ship radiant energyA controlled by the absorbed energy.

`6. The method 'which consists in producing in a conductor` in a ships path electrical disturbances representing a signal, absorbing energy of said disturbances on the ship, retransmittin from the shipsignals corresponding with the signals Yrepresented by the absorbed energy, and translating into signals energy absorbed on the ship.

7.` The method which consists 1n producing y in a conductor in a ships path electricall disturbances representing a signal, absorbing energy ofysaid disturbances on 'the ship, transmitting from the shipradi'ant energy controlled bythe absorbed energy, and translating into signals energy absorbed on the ship.

8. The method which consists `in prducing electrical disturbances representative ot different signals in conductor sections ina ships path, absorbing energy of said disturbances upon the' ship, and transmitting from the ship radiant ener controlled by absorbed energy.

nation with a conductor in the ships path,

of meansfo'r impressing thereon current rep#` 'resentat-ive of a signal, means upon the ship for absorbing energ? of said current, and

meanson said'sliip` or transmitting'signals to astation distant fromsaidship controlled bythe absorbed energy. 1

10. Inja ships signaling system, 'the combination with 'a conductor in the ships path, of means for impressing thereon current re resentative of a signal, means upon the ship for absorbing energy .ofsaid current, and means on the ship'for transmitting therefrom radio requenc electrical energy controlled by the absor` edenergy.

11a. In a ships signaling system, thel com'- bination with a conductorinthe ships path, of means for impressing'thereon'c urrent rep- :'resentativeof a signal, means upon the ship for absorbing ener 'of said current, means on said shipcntrol ed by the absorbed energy for transmitting signals to a station distant from the shipfand means onthev lship for "translating absorbed .energy into 'intelbination'with acon uctor in theships path,

. of means for impressing thereon current representative o`fa signal,'means upon the ship for absorbing energy of said current,- means on the ship for transmitting therefrom radio frequency Velectrical energy controlled by the.

' absorbed energy, and means on the ship for translating absorbed energy into intelllgible signals. 13. a. ships signaling system, the combination with conductor sections in the ships path, means for producing in diierent sections "electrical effects capable of producing' Y dierent signals, meanson the, ship4 forab- 'sorbing energy from said sections, and apparatus on the ship controlled by the absorbed energy for' transmitting station distant from the ship.' i

- l14:. In a 'sh'ps'signaling system, the combination with conductor sections in the ships` path, means for. producing .in different Vsections electrical effects capableof producing v different signals, means on the ship for absorbmg energy from said sectlons, and means v on said ship for' transmitting. therefrom radio frequency electrical energy controlled by the absorbed energy.,

-- 15. In aships signaling system, the combinationwith conductor sections in the shipsv path, means forproducing. in different sections electrical eiects capablev Vof producing dierent signals, means ontheship for ab.` aratus.

e absor ed elials to a station dismeans onl the 'ship 'on' the ship controlled` by` ei-gy absorbed om said sections.

16." In a ships signaling system, the coni-V signalsfto a bination with conductor sectionsin'the ships path, means for producing in different sections electrical effectsl capable of producing diiferent signals', means on the ship forfab sorbin energy from said sections, mea-ns 4on sai 'ship for transmitting therefrom radio frequency electrical energy controlled by the absorbed energy, and means on the ship "for translatingV into intelligible signa-ls energy absorbediro'm said sections.

means for impressin electrical energy t ereon vrepresentative o la signalf, means on the ship for absorbing energy rom Sa'id .con-

. .75 17. Ina ships Vsignaling system the com-4 bination, with a conductor in the sliips ath,

ductor, radio' transmitting and receiving'apparatlis on the ship, the transmittinsp a.- ratus'being controlled by energy a r d from s aid conductor, and signal translating means responsive to energy absorbedfromsaid conductor and to radiant energy rreceivedfby'saidradio receiving ap aratus.

18. vI n-a Vships signalingsystenli), the combination with a conductor in the ships path,

means for impressing electrical energy there- Vship for vabsorbing venergy from said con- I ductor, radio transmitting and receiving apparatus on theship simultaneously operativeV 4Withoutinterference, the transmittin ap aratus being controlled by ener .y a sor d from said conductor, and signa translating means responsive to energy absorbed from by said radio. receiving apparatus.-

19.- In a. ships signaling system, the com- 'said conductor andto radiant energy received bination with a -conductor in the ships path,

of means for impressing thereon electrical ene representative ofva signal, means on the s 1p for absorbing ener from saidconductor, apparatus on said s 'p controlled by energy .received from said' conductor.` for transmittmg 'slgnals-to a station distant from the ship, and' means on the 'ship forconn -trolling said transmitting apparatus independently of said absorbed energy. 20. In a slnpssignaling system, a series of conductor sections foreach of a plurality of guiding paths, and meansfor impressin currents of different characteristics upon di ,ferent sections-of each series, the currents inv adjacent sections of different series in the l different guiding paths having different .1

characteristics.

ductor'or each of aplurality ofgmdmg paths,/andmeans for'impressmg upon the different conductors currents Vof dierent characteristics, said ,conductors being transposed from one guiding path to another 21.' In aships signalinglsystem, afcn# whereby. in each path there is ineifect a series of conductor sections traversed 'respectively by currents. of diferentcharacf,

terlstics.-

' 22. In a ships signaling Ysystem,mn'aarrsbni co. -onrepresentativeof a signal,`means on-thc" the ship for absorbing electrical energy from a conductor in the ships path, and apparatus on said ship controlled by the absorbed energy for transmitting signals to a station distant from the ship.

23. In a ships signaling system, means on the ship for absorbing electrical energy from a conductor in the ships path, and radio transmitting apparatus on said ship con-4 `ceived by said receiving apparatus and by energy absorbed by said first named means.

26. In a ships signaling system, the combi- 'nation with a conductor in the ships path, of

means for impressing thereon electrical energy representative of a signal, means on the ship for absorbing energy from said conductor, radio transmitting and receiving'apparatus on the ship, means rendering said receiving apparatus unresponsive to said transmitting apparatus, means for controlling said transmitting apparatus by said energy absorbed from said conductor, and signal-trans-l lating means responsive to radiant energy received by said receiving apparatus.

27. In a ships signaling system, the combination with a conductor in the ships path, of means for impressing thereon electrlcal energy representative'of a signal, means on the ship for absorbing energy from said conduetor, radio transmitting and receiving apparatus lon the ship, means rendering said apparatus simultaneously operative without interference, signal-translating means responsive to radiant energy received by said receiving apparatus, means for controlling said transmitting apparatus by energy absorbed Afrom said conductor, and means for inde pendently controlling said transmitting apparatus.

28. In a ships signaling system, the combination with a conductor in the ships path, of means for impressing thereon electrical energy representative of a signal, means on Y .the ship for absorbing energy from said conductor, radio receiving apparatus on the ship, and a telephone receiver having coils controlled, respectively, simultaneously by energy absorbed from said conductor and received by said radio receiving apparatus.

29. In a ships signaling system, in combination la guiding conductor, means for impressing a fluctuating current thereon, means on said ship for transmit-ting intelligence to a distance from the ship through a medium other than a conductor, means on said ship for controlling said transmitting means by energy absorbed ,from said conductor, and means for controlling the current in said conductor to impart intelligence to a ship.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto aflixed my signature this 3rd day of December, 1920.

CORNELIUS D. EHRET. 

